Name of Baby in Picture : Hambali bin HasratDate of Birth : 12th of June, 2008Picture’s Location : Taman Tasik SerembanThe Story Behind this picture : That was the first ever we brought Baby Hambali along with his 5 years old brother outdoor. First time experience for Baby Hambali but countless time for his big brother.We did’nt do any specific activity just ‘lazing’ around there and let Baby Hambali roaming about, crawled under the watchful eyes of both his parents. Just in case, he put every single thing he found inside his mouth! LOL! It could be dangerous! After that activity we made a mental note to do it often for the benefits of our family.

Babywearing is the practice of wearing or carrying a baby or child in a sling or other form of carrier. Babywearing is far from new and has been practised for centuries around the world. In the industrialized world, babywearing has gained popularity in recent decades, partly under influence of advocates of attachment parenting; however, not all parents who babywear consider themselves attachment parents. Babywearing is a form of baby transport.

Types of Carriers:-

1. Ring Sling

A ring sling consists of a length of fabric with two rings at one end. The fabric is threaded through the rings to create a loop, and then placed over the wears head and one arm, so that it sits across the body from shoulder to opposite hip. The size of the sling can be adjusted to make a perfect fit for both carrier and baby, giving excellent support and comfort.

Ring slings can be used to carry baby lying down, as in a hammock, sitting facing in or out (in a “froggy” position, with legs crossed inside the fabric of the sling), or on the carrier’s hip. They are suitable from birth, and will usually last until baby is too heavy for your comfort. As they are a one-shouldered carrier, they can cause some discomfort when used with older, heavier babies or toddlers, or for prolonged periods.

2. Pouch

This is very similar to the ring sling, but the pouch sling is a fixed size, and it is very important to take accurate measurements prior to ordering a pouch sling so as to ensure a perfect fit (not usually a sling that mummy and daddy can share). Baby can be worn in the same positions as in a ring sling – lying down, on the hip or upright. There are no buckles or rings to fasten – it’s a case of pop it on and off you go! They are very convenient and usually fold up very small, so are fabulous for taking with you on shopping trips.

3. Mei Tai & Soft Structured Carrier

A mei tai is made from a square panel of fabric with straps are the top and bottom. The bottom straps go around the wearer’s waist and the top ones go over the shoulders, crossing on the back and being tied around the waist (either front, or crossing over again and going back round to the back). With a mei tai, the weight is taken through the hips, and distributed over both shoulders, so it tends to be more comfortable for older or heavier babies and toddlers. They can be used to carry babies on the front, back or hip, and due to the long straps, and lack of buckles, one size fits most. As with wraps and slings, mei tais carry baby in a natural seated position, which is best for their delicate spine and hip development, and also for their comfort.

If the tying sounds a bit fiddly for you, there are now some hybrid slings, known as Soft Structured Carriers, which are like mei tais but with buckles instead of long straps. These are a little easier to put on for a novice, but have the disadvantage of needing to be adjusted for different people. They are often not quite as supportive, or comfortable as some of the mei tais, so are less suitable for younger babies.

Mei Tai

Soft Structured Carrier (SSC)

4. Wraps

Wrap-around slings come in two varieties – stretchy and woven. They are both the same design, which is basically a long length of fabric. This is used to wrap around both you and baby, so as to fasten you together. The simplicity means that they can be used in a great many positions, with one size fitting all. It is generally accepted that woven are longer lasting, and the stretchy wraps can sag once baby becomes heavier. However, woven wraps can take a little more practice to perfect the tying, and stretchy wraps are considered a better option for novice wearers. They both work in a similar way to the mei tai, distributing the baby’s weight through the wearer’s hips and back, with the shoulders being used for support. They can look very daunting to the first time user.

5. Baby Carrier

The structured carrier is probably what most new mums automatically think of when they think of a baby carrier. They are more structured than the other types, and therefore les flexible. They fasten using buckles, so need to be adjusted if you intend to share the babywearing, and can be a little fiddly to put on, particularly if they incorporate a harness which the baby sits in. Some of the newer styles can be worn in multiple positions, but most tend to be front-carry only, although baby can be carried facing outwards when they are a little older.

This type of carrier tends not to be as comfortable as other types, either for the wearer or the baby, due to the positioning of the baby – the baby can have a tendency to be supported through the spine, rather than the legs, putting undue pressure on the spine. In addition, many parents find this type becomes uncomfortable once their baby becomes slightly heavier, and puts strain on the wearer’s back, due to the way the weight is distributed.

Imagine yourself dangling with support & pressuring your crotch rather you being hold in sitting position. Other carriers than this type allowing baby & toddler in sitting position which is more natural & comfortable.

I have great pleasure recommending other mommas to convert to cloth diaper in this Chatterbox of mine. I found many benefits on cloth diapering & somehow I wish I have started as early as I can, say, by the time Baby Hambali just a newborn.

Well, needless to say, I’ve started cloth diapering Baby Hambali when he was about 5 months old with Onesize Pocket Diaper & Sized Pocket Diaper. Experienced-wise, I never tried prefold which is much recommended for cloth diapering newborn or we most familar by the name of lampin / flat muslin cloth. I did used lampin for Hanafi during the confinement but opt for sposies when Baby Hambali’s turn with reason, no one to man & care the lampin.

As for now, seeing & hearing many Chit-Chatters of mine & other blogger friends are expecting an arrival of new family member (wink!) or just simply says…pregnant, I love to list out few great articles & tips from CD-gurus @ Mamas in here.

I’ve learnt a lot from these lovely CD Mommas on initial stage of my cloth diapering journey & to those who has been thinking OR contemplating OR has decided to cloth diapering soon for your newborn, at your pregnancy state now, is a great start for you to :-

LEARN + SAVE + INITIAL CD PURCHASES + ADD-ON CD STASHBIT BY BIT

Why? It is understandable & agreed buying one piece CD only will cost you more than one pack of disposable. Correct? But, in the long run, you save more because it is not like your child will be using it for one month but the least 2 years. So, I fully suggest as you are preparing items for your expected little joy’s arrival, why not include the purchases of CD as well? By doing this, you won’t feel the burden too much by spending a bomb at one go. Besides, you must take note that cloth diapering a newborn is slightly differ from 3 months to 4 months old baby so you need to know how & what is the best solution.

Please read all these great articles & may it provide lots of assistance that I intent it to do so.

You can always check, peep & read these 3 blogs that I mentioned earlier & those articles & tips it is from them!

1. Family co-sleeping takes full advantage of the ease of breastfeeding, as there is no need to go to another room to get one’s child. A breastfeeding mother in a “family bed” can easily feed her child without having to wake fully, and can continue to get the important rest she needs. Thus co-sleeping encourages mothers to continue breastfeeding and all of its numerous benefits until the child chooses to wean.

2. According to sleep researcher James McKenna, co-sleeping increases the chances that a parent can successfully intervene to help prevent a death, whether that is due to a physiological condition or to a physical accident. He reminds parents that “co-sleeping gives the parent the best opportunity to hear the baby in crisis and to respond.” He adds that “since protection from SIDS may be related to the frequency and duration of breastfeeding, and because babies breastfeed more when co-sleeping, this practice may help to protect some breastfeeding infants.”

3. Gaps in breathing are normal during the early months of infancy, and it is likely that the mother’s breathing provides important cues to her infant, reminding him to take a breath following exhalation, preventing a SIDS situation from developing. Even if this reminder system fails, the mother is nearby to help by arousing the infant. A breastfeeding mother and baby tend to have coordinated sleeping and dreaming cycles, making her keenly sensitive to her baby. If she is sleeping close by, she will awaken if there her baby is having difficulty. But if the baby is alone, this type of life-saving intervention cannot take place.

4. Any nighttime danger to a child is reduced if there is an adult close by. Babies and children have perished in fires, have been sexually abused by visiting relatives, have been abducted from their bed, have been attacked by pets, have suffocated after vomiting, and have died or been injured in various ways that could have been prevented had a parent been nearby to help.

5. Suffocation is often listed as a danger of family co-sleeping. However, this is a real danger in only two situations: a young infant sleeping on a water-bed, thus unable to push himself up when needed, or a parent who is too intoxicated by alcohol or drugs to attend to a child’s needs. Obviously, a child who is suffocating for any reason (such as a ribbon on sleepwear getting around her neck, vomiting during sleep, asthmatic attacks) is far more likely to rouse a parent who is sleeping nearby than one sleeping in a different room.

A child cared for during the night receives constant reassurance of love and support.

6. Family co-sleeping is often misunderstood as facilitating sexual abuse of children by a parent. However, the opposite is true. Parents who develop deep emotional bonds with their children by remaining close by and responsive at night, as well as during the day, are far less likely to turn to abusive behavior of any kind toward the children they love and cherish. Conversely, the fact that a child sleeps alone has never been adequate protection against a parent who intends sexual trespass, and may even make it easier for one parent to keep such activity secret from the other.

7. Shared sleep can further prevent child abuse by helping all family members to obtain the rest they need, especially if the child is breastfeeding. The child does not have to suffer needlessly or cry to bring his mother, and the mother can nurse half-asleep. The entire family awakes refreshed, with no lingering resentment toward the baby for having disturbed their sleep the night before. An exhausted parent is far more likely to abuse a child than a well-rested mother or father who has enjoyed the presence of a happily resting child through the night.

8. Crying is a signal provided by nature that is meant to disturb the parents to ensure that the baby receives the care he needs. But prolonged crying is stressful to all the family members. The sooner the baby’s needs are met, the more rest the baby and the entire family can have, and the more energy they will have for the next day. A mother sleeping next to her baby can utilize the instinctive response a new mother has to her baby’s first whimper, thus preventing the need for the hard crying that is so stressful to the baby and to all other members of the family.

9. A deeper sense of love and trust often develops between siblings who sleep near each other, lessening sibling rivalry during waking hours. Siblings who share the night as well as the day have a greater opportunity to build a deep and lasting relationship. Babies and children who are separated from other family members during the day (parents at work, siblings at school) can partially make up for these absences and reestablish important emotional bonds by spending time at night together, and by the delightful early morning family time that is otherwise often missed. Of course, home businesses and unschooling can minimize separations and deepen family bonds during the day, just as co-sleeping does at night.

10. Studies of adults in coma have shown that the presence of another person in the room significantly improves heart rate, heart rhythm, and blood pressure. It seems reasonable to assume that infants and children derive similar health benefits to having others in the same room with them.

A child who is cared for during the night as well as the day receives constant reassurance of love and support, instead of having to cope with feelings of fear, anger, and abandonment night after night. Children who have felt safe through the night as well as the day with a loving parent close by become adults who cope better with the inevitable stresses life brings. As John Holt put it so eloquently, having feelings of love and safety in early life, far from “spoiling” a child, is like “money in the bank”: a fund of trust, self-esteem and inner security which the child can draw on throughout life’s challenges.

Hanz’s Note : This great article was written by Jan Hunt from The Natural Child Project. Thanks for sharing this great article and I love to share all about natural parenting here, from today onwards.

I was introduced to Classical Music at the tender age of 16 by my ex-classmates cum good friend. At first, it did’nt make sense to me why she was so into Classical Music until I heard it myself after surrendered to her much coaxing. Initially, I could not tolerate with music without singing as at that point of time, music was another gateway for me to improve my English language grasp so listening to Roxette, Color Me Badd, Mariah Carey, New Kids On The Block managed to assist me so-so.

My friend collected Classical cassette (boy, how much technology has evolved) & I was curious somehow. So I borrowed few of her collection cassettes and after some time it ‘hit’ me! I was smitten.

I used my pocket money to buy two to three blank tapes, headed to my elder sister’s house over the weekend so I could do the dubbing of my friend’s classical cassettes. Officially, I have developed the likings of Chopin, Strauss, Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky & many more. I’ve read & owned several autobiography books too on Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven & Tchaikovsky & had seen a movie about the lives of Chopin & Strauss.

At present, my boys has develop the likings of classical music too, definitely their Mama as the great influencer. Even dear hubby loves listening to them as well.While both of them were inside my womb, I purposely put on the classical music near to my bump. While we are on the road, from time to time classical music would be accompanying us.

Among my favourites and I love to recommend it to you are :-

The Four Seasons by Vivaldi

Fur Elise in A Minor by Beethoven

Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky

Minuet in G Major by Bach

Symphony No 5 in C Major by Beethoven

Piano Concerto No.1 in B flat minor Op.23 by Tchaikovsky

Piano Sonata in A Major : Allegro by Mozart

Fantaisie-Impromptu in C Sharp Minor, Op. 66 by Chopin

Nocturne in E Flat, Op. 9,No.2 by Chopin

As you know that I used a lot of educational vcds for both my boys, here’s some vcds & cds that I likely to recommend that has a nice, soothing classical music whether as a background music or just by itself.

As for myself, the utmost above picture is a must-have CD that I played frequently in the office & inside the car.

If you want to know why I truly emphasises listening to classical music, here’s some great articles that tells it all. Just click away! :>

There’s never too early or too late to learn signing yourself and then teach it to your child.

As a parent, you can begin using simple signs with your babies and toddlers just as they would spoken words. Identifying favourite foods or objects with a single sign is a good way to start. Holding up a stuffed toy like lion and making the sign for ‘lion’, or pointing to Papa while signing ‘father’.

Using signs labelling emotions & feelings is a logical next step. Signing ‘baby sad’ or ‘I’m happy’ can affirm your young child’s perception of what is happening in & around them. It won’t be long before your child is offering up signs of their own to communicate how he is feeling in the moment.

Learning signing is a good way to help your child become multilingual.

Children of preschool age group are actively expanding their receptive skill. They will be able to understand signed communication quite naturally with practice. Finding songs to sing, sign & dance to will help remember signs & provide a great deal of fun.

An older child can serve as a model for a younger brother or sister by identifying familiar objects with sign. Learning to fingerspell, or spell out words using the signed alphabet, can assist your child in learning the alphabet & later in learning to spell. Signing the alphabet while signing letters uses both sides of the brain & maximizes learning. Practicing spelling words by finger-spelling is a fun way to learn spelling.

Older children can also enjoy sign language. Having a secret ‘second’ language to share with others can build friendships. Learning & teaching others how to sign at this age coincides with a child’s developing sense of self as an individual with special skills & talents.

Sign language can also be a fun way to enrich the relationship between you & your child. Incorporating a few key phrases into your everyday family such as ‘Don’t forget to brush’ or ‘I love you’.

This is also a time when your child become more empathetic & increasingly aware of the needs of others. Finding a deaf friend or visiting a club for the deaf can expand your child’s view of the world & can build compassion for others.

In other words, sign language can be an important interpersonal skill.

But, if you are confident yourself and make it ‘friendlier’, there’s no reason for hesitation. Make sure you are experienced with cloth diapering and comfortable using them before convincing other people to cloth diaper your child.

How to do that?

1. Send enough CDs to last the whole day

My lil tot, baby Hambali will take his bath around 7:30 am before off to nursery, fully in CD. I will put 5 CDs in his bag & informed them he must be change around 11am, 3pm & 6pm. The time I stated is roughly indicated depending whether it is soiled of poop. 2 for extra because average time we fetched him around 6 to 7 pm daily. (Note : Diaper change done every 3 hours)

2. Use the velcro (hook & loop type) type

I noted whenever Baby Hambali on CD that using snaps, sometimes another button missed being snaps causing droopy look. Happen especially when baby Hambali’s Opah (Grandma) is babysitting him. Sometimes at his nursery, it is either too loose or too tight.We can understand the situation in the nursery, time consuming & many child to be cared of, so try lessen their work by making it easier. Besides, if it is not properly set, it might end up with leak. So, those with velcro types easier as it is similar with disposables.

3. Pre-stuff your diaper if you are using pocket type

So, all they need to do is just put it on.Off late, I’m fond of AI2 & AIO as it does’nt need stuffing.Try to avoid using fitted with cover as it is not so convenient once your baby is mobile & if it is happen your baby is wiggly type like my Baby Hambali.😛

4. Set the correct setting if you are using One-Size type.

Again, for fast and easier putting it on.

5. If you using sized diaper, always check that your baby fits them nicely, not too tight or too loose.

I encountered once in a while baby Hambali was bit too long in one diaper when plenty clean diapers remain in his bag instead in the wetbag. Be patience. Insist on changing every 3 hours, longest 4 hours stating the health side-effect.

7) Provide wetbag to store soiled diaper.

They don’t need to wash them. Just dump it inside the wetbag! Easy, ma!9) Handling soiled CDs with poop

At Baby Hambali’s Nursery, they don’t bother to do anything about it, not even flush down the poop down the toilet. I don’t mind actually because my ultimate goal as long my baby is in CD, it is good enough. Once home, I just sprayed the poop & it rolled off down the toilet, rinse it few times inside out without the detergent before dump it together with the rest of the CDs in the washing machine plus the detergent.

10) Be serious with your decision on cloth diapering. Project an impression that CD-ing is easy. Like us, in fact they are enjoying ‘looking’ at baby Hambali in funky prints CD & amazed that it stays dry & never experienced leaking at all. And, it struck curios inquiries from other moms too!

Oh, did I tell you that I don’t need to spend on pants & shorts anymore for Baby Hambali. CD become shorts too!! LOL 😛

About

This is an example of a WordPress page, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many pages like this one or sub-pages as you like and manage all of your content inside of WordPress.